Smart bandages help patients recover from a distance

The new bandage allows doctors to monitor patients with chronic wounds remotely via a mobile application, thereby reducing examination and testing time.

Smart gauze helps to reduce the time of medical examination. (Video: Reuters)

A team at the National University of Singapore created a wearable sensor that attaches to a transparent bandage to monitor the healing process, using information such as temperature, bacteria type, pH and infection.

"Usually when someone has a wound or a skin ulcer, if there's an infection, the only way to check is to look closely," said Chwee Teck Lim, lead researcher at the National University of Singapore's department of biomedical engineering. , said. "If doctors want more information, they need to take a sample for further testing. So what we're doing is using smart dressings to reduce the test time from hours or days down to a few days." few minutes left."

 The dressing is being tested on patients with venous or leg ulcers.

"VeCare" technology will allow patients to recuperate more at home and see a doctor only when needed. The bandage is being tested on patients with venous or leg ulcers caused by circulatory problems in the blood vessels. Researchers are collecting data from wounds very effectively. According to Lim, the smart bandage could be used with other wounds, including foot ulcers in people with diabetes.